Making a Lover of a Snake
by atlaswhite
Summary: Megatron has grown weary of Starscream's treacherous ways. Only through strict discipline can he mold the feral Seeker into the second he needs.... But Starscream isn't about to make this easy. G1 Megatron/Starscream
1. Chapter 1

_Megatron & Starscream – Making a Lover of a Snake_

_Chapter 1_

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_Important! _

_A/N: Although it is not necessary to understand the plot, it is recommended that you read MegaManAtlas's 'Contemplating Insanity' ( [ff .net] /s/5197751/1/Contemplating_Insanity ) before beginning as it sets the scene for this story. Thank you!  
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Starscream picked himself up off of the ground and brushed himself off. Uneasily, he looked around to make sure no one had seen what happened, mentally readying threats and excuses to protect himself from humiliation as he scanned the room. Ah, good. There hadn't been any witnesses. Seeing this, he let himself relax somewhat.

He strode down the hall like nothing happened, carrying his dark helm high. For all appearances, the Seeker looked as if he'd just emerged victorious from whatever battle he'd just been involved in. His image was carefully calculated, concealing the evidence of his defeat.

This time, he'd been caught. Megatron had gotten the better of him, though again he had spared him…for now. Either the Seeker was losing his touch or the warlord was — really, between the two of them it was hard to tell who was worse for wear.

Starscream cast a venomous glare over at a couple of unwitting Constructicons, who made a hasty retreat to avoid the Seeker's wrath. He smirked; he was really in no mood to speak to any of the other Decepticons at the moment, and bullying the underlings made him feel a little better about his earlier encounter with Megatron.

He rubbed tenderly at his throat as he made his way down the hall. Shit… this time, he had come dangerously close to being decapitated. If Megatron had been in a different frame of mind at the time, if his wrath had been just a little stronger, Starscream would be dead right now.

No… Megatron would never put him offline. He was a ruthless warlord who sliced through enemy troops like grass, and yet he had still not killed Starscream.

And the Seeker felt sure that as long as he could still give him the right sultry looks, and touch him all the right ways, and move so his wing just _barely_ brushed against Megatron's arm, it would stay that way.

Feeling reassured, and, in fact, rather smug with himself, Starscream continued his showy stride down the hallway. As far as he was concerned, things were still going exactly the way he wanted them to.

*****

If Starscream had known what Megatron was mulling over, he wouldn't have been quite so pleased with himself. While it was true that Megatron had spared him once again, and that Starscream's appeal may or may not have been some minute part of the reason for that, the warlord was as aware as Starscream was that it was merely the latest in a long series of similar encounters.

Presently, Megatron was sitting alone in his dark quarters, trying to decide what to do with the treacherous Seeker. He shuttered off his optics and leaned back into his seat, listening to the soft hum of distant machinery throughout the underwater fortress.

He could contemplate until the moon fell into the sea, but he would likely never be able to deduce exactly what the appeal of the treacherous Seeker was. He was beautiful, but there were other beautiful mechs. His wingmates were beautiful as well, but he felt nothing for them. He was intelligent, but his plans always failed, foiled by the Seeker's own arrogance. He was talented, in many ways, but none of these things would be able to attract Megatron's eye.

His optics still offline, he reached to a small, ornate brass-coloured table beside him, and took from it a goblet of high-grade. Bringing it slowly to his lips, he went on to consider how best to proceed. How could he mold Starscream into a more suitable companion? How could he teach him to obey, and to maximize his usefulness to the Decepticons?

Megatron sipped leisurely, taking in the cool, refreshing energon. The best course of action was to employ a strict regimen of discipline. Starscream would be kept with all the strictness of the toughest boot camp and more. He would learn through any means necessary, until he had been cured of his rebellious ways and begun to act behave as the loyal second that Megatron needed. This could involve withholding rations, physical discipline; whatever it took, short of outright abuse.

Megatron took another contemplative sip. Of course, he couldn't be too hard too quickly; otherwise, he'd risk losing any chance of success. Starscream would only become bitter and angry, until it became impossible to ever hope to control him.

The goblet touched down on the table with a soft clink, and Megatron stood from his throne. His optics appeared suddenly as he switched them back on, piercing red lights in the darkness that gave dim, eerie highlights to the room around him. He had his answer; now, it was time to act.

Hopefully, this would prove the cure that he had been seeking to Starscream's rebellious behavior.

*****

Starscream stretched luxuriously across his berth in an almost feline manner, arching his slender body upward and lacing his fingers. The stretch ended, and he was left lying comfortably on his belly, resting his helm on a servo.

He was the calculated picture of temptation, not a scratch in his paint nor a single diode out of place. His body was exquisite and well-kept, to the point that even his most simple movements could stop traffic. The only ones he'd decided could resist his spell were the stupid (such as, or perhaps especially Shockwave and Soundwave, whose logical and businesslike natures made them altogether uninterested in the feral Seeker), his fellow Seekers-- and of course, Megatron, the one person he _wanted _to persuade.

Tapping his jaw irritably, he thought back once again to his earlier encounter with Megatron. His earlier smugness had worn off, and a sense of anxiety had begun to set in. Megatron had never come so close before. Certainly, he had taken occasional potshots at him for these kinds of _incidents_, but never anything like this.

Megatron had pinned him to a wall, constricting his neck, and put the Fusion Cannon to his head with every intention of actually killing him! Whatever had stopped him, Starscream could only thank Primus that it had.

…He just would've liked to know what exactly it had been.

Just then, there came the soft sound of commands being entered on the keypad outside his door, followed by a high-pitched beep of confirmation and the electronic door sliding open with a hiss. Starscream raised his helm to look, freezing in place. He knew exactly who was coming, but it still didn't surprise him any less that he would've come here, personally, to the Seeker's personal quarters.

The pale grey peds came down with echoing thumps, causing Starscream to shudder. The towering mech's optics pierced the hall's darkness, giving his face eerie highlights. He stepped into the light with grim purpose, making his entrance almost unrealistically dramatic. Starscream stayed silent all the while, watching the Decepticon commander with brightened optics.

"Starscream," Megatron addressed him, voice booming.

Starscream hesitated. "Yes, my liege?" He answered slowly, each syllable separate and clear.

"Stand up." Megatron commanded. "You and I are going to be doing a little _training_."

"T-training, Lord Megatron?" Starscream stammered, having trouble reclaiming his collected air.

"Just get up, you sniveling coward." Megatron responded, growing agitation in his voice. Not obeying now would be a little more than a bad idea.

Quickly, Starscream pushed himself up and onto his peds, looking up nervously at his commander. He didn't know what was coming next, but from the cold look those vicious optics gave him, looking as if into his black spark itself, he could tell that it was going to be far from pleasant.


	2. Chapter 2

_Megatron & Starscream – Making a Lover of a Snake  
Chapter 2_

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Starscream climbed slowly from his berth and rose to his peds, stretching his legs deliberately as he did so. He shifted rising wings and stepped slowly toward the warlord, trying hard to feign a satisfied smirk. Megatron watched the movements with disapproving optics, unmoved by his display.

"Are you quite finished?" Megatron asked irritably.

"Yes, sir." Starscream purred calmly. He could only hope his voice wasn't quivering as much as he thought it was. Whatever misstep he had taken in his routine just now, Megatron didn't appreciate one second of his little act.

"Good," Megatron growled, "Then follow me. We begin immediately."

With that, the Decepticon lord turned away and walked from the room, leading Starscream from his well-lit room into a dark hall. The sudden transition caused the Seeker to wince slightly and rub at his optic lens as the sensors inside refocused to adjust to the unexpected lack of light. Megatron scoffed and kept moving.

Starscream groaned. He didn't even know what Megatron had waiting for him, and he was already dreading it. The tyrant had never done something like this before, so he had no idea what to expect. He held the reassurance of knowing he wouldn't be killed, but death was only one of a thousand punishments, and Megatron was _very_ creative.

Starscream had never found himself on the receiving end of one of those thousand punishments, and he wasn't looking forward to changing that. He'd seen them carried out on Autobot captives, unfortunate less-than-stellar Decepticon soldiers, traitors, and even other would-be assassins; in fact, he'd even enacted some of them himself on the warlord's orders. He _really_ didn't want to know what it felt like to get as good as he'd given in the past.

Around them, the dark, majestic hall began to taper. Megatron turned and led the Seeker down a narrow branch that ended in a door opening to a simple lift.

Upon reaching it, the warlord stopped in front of the door and stepped back against the wall, gesturing impatiently for Starscream to go in ahead of him. The Seeker strode past with his helm raised proudly, acting conspicuously as if the gesture had been one of politeness or consideration, though he knew better. Megatron just wanted to be able to keep an eye on him. The larger mech strode into the lift after the Seeker, boxing him in-- less with his size than with his sheer presence.

The ride that followed was agonizingly quiet. Neither mech said a word, leaving the air to be filled with tension and the faint sounds of the lift moving swiftly downward, unaided by the crude pulley systems of the device's barbaric human counterparts. For Starscream, its speed was a blessing; too long in this box, closed in with nothing but silence and a stewing Megatron, and he was afraid he might lose his mind.

As it was, the lift came to a soft landing within astroseconds, the doors parting to reveal another narrow hall. Starscream knew this place; it was Megatron's private floor, somewhere no Decepticon was ever allowed to enter except in special instances, when escorted down on Megatron's orders. He did not grant permission to enter; he told Decepticons when they were wanted down here and they otherwise never dared to even conceive the idea.

Starscream was led past a good number of security measures, and into Megatron's personal quarters. It was just the same as when Starscream had last been allowed in here; dark and elegant, with very simple, but tasteful furnishings and no decoration. All in all, it closely reflected its occupant.

In the middle of the room, there was an ornate table and a single chair, and it was there that the warlord led the Seeker. Was this part of the punishment?

"Starscream," Megatron began. His voice was calm and even; as _raspy_ as ever, but powerful and commanding, every syllable pronounced clearly and deliberately as he stated his intentions. "For far too long, I have tolerated your atrocious, flagrantly insubordinate behaviour. But no more. Starting now, I will be working with you, shaping you into something useful."

"What exactly does that entail, Lord Megatron?" Starscream asked warily.

Megatron narrowed his optics warningly. "You have far too much potential to simply _waste_ it the way you do, and I don't wish to lose that. It would be a shame to throw you away like common garbage when there's so much I can still do with you, don't you think?"

Unsure of how best to respond, Starscream nodded. Yes, yes, whatever got him off the hook. He might not have known what Megatron was getting at, but at least it further went to prove that Starscream would not taste deactivation. Now, if he just played his cards right, he wouldn't end up on the wrong end of one of those vicious punishments he'd been worrying about, either.

"Good." Megatron said. "That's exactly why I've brought you down here. I'm not going to punish you for what you did, Starscream, for one simple reason: it never works. You're _entirely_ too _thick-headed_. So, I will be using a new tactic. I'm going to _teach_ you to behave, understand? You're going to do exactly as I say, when I say it, until I tell you otherwise. And don't think for a second that you can stop, discourage, or deter me." He strode up to the Seeker, standing chassis to chassis with him, their optics burning into one another's. "Are you getting all this, Starscream?"

*****

"Yes, sir." Starscream answered, a little too quickly.

"Then what am I saying?" Megatron asked, taking on a smirk.

"Ah… You're saying that you aren't going to punish me, but in a way, you are." Starscream answered hesitantly. "Something about training? Oh, and that I can't deter you."

"Correct." Megatron snorted. "Be sure that you keep those things in mind, understand?"

"But of course, my liege." Starscream answered, bowing elegantly.

Megatron narrowed his optics at the younger mech. Of course, that was Starscream's way of saying, "sure, sure, whatever". But as he had just stated, the mighty tyrant would not be deterred from his task, especially not by a little _lip_. He knew going into it that it would be a difficult and very _trying_ endeavor, but with patience and persistence, it would be well worth it.

"Now then, pull out the chair." Megatron said, waving his arm at the object in question.

Starscream gave a shallow, irritated sigh and did as he was bid, pulling the chair out from under the table. Megatron, smirking at the Seeker's agitation, sat down forcefully and rested an arm on the table.

"Fetch me some energon." Megatron commanded.

"Excuse me?" Starscream looked as if he'd slapped him clear across the face. The arrogant jet was unused to such work, and Megatron felt certain that he would throw a horrible fit if he wasn't already in such deep trouble.

"You heard me." Megatron said nonchalantly. "Go fetch me a cube of energon."

Starscream's servos clenched and unclenched several times, and for astroseconds, all he could do was stare in horror, biting down on his lip like some spoiled child. As Megatron had expected; the order was nothing a mech of Starscream's position would ever receive, even with the kind of unorthodox relationship that they had, and the aerial commander was enraged to hear those words directed at _him,_ of all mechs.

Resisting the urge to laugh, Megatron simply waved Starscream off like some Autobot slave.

He was dead serious; he'd given his order and he expected the younger Decepticon to comply. This was the first step in his plan, and it was a vital one. Starscream had to learn that he was the student, not the master, and if that meant reducing him to a common household servant, then so be it.

Starscream raised his chin, trying to preserve some sense of dignity, and turned on his heel to go and do as he was told. His movements were unusually stiff as he tried to control his youthful temper, strides long, arms swinging by his sides.

Megatron chuckled dryly as he watched him leave, scratching his pale gray chin contemplatively. Although the training had only just begun, it looked like things would go smoothly, at least for now.

Starscream was every bit as indignant as he'd expected-- and understandably so, given not only his rank and position, but the young Decepticon's arrogant, hot-headed nature as well. He was fully aware of his cunning, rank, and strength, but therein lied his weakness. The aerial commander consistently overestimated himself, and that not only caused him problems, it cost him opportunities. Learning a little humility would be good for him, and thus, the point of this little exercise.

Of course, given the way he was responding to the order-- even if Megatron had anticipated such a reaction --this was going to take a _long_ time.

*****

Starscream returned just a few minutes later with a cube held on the palm his servo like a human waiter, his movements once again graceful and calculated. Megatron raised an optic ridge as he watched the Seeker approach; he was up to something.

The aerial commander placed the energon cube on the table before Megatron with an ease that seemed almost practiced, drawing on the natural fluidity of his movements to put on appearances for Megatron.

"Get out one of my goblets and pour the energon." Megatron commanded.

With a barely-concealed scowl of disapproval, and a gust of air from his turbines that sounded suspiciously like a hiss, Starscream strode over to a tall, simple-looking cabinet to retrieve a goblet.

He set the silvery cup on the table, then took up the cube and transferred a little of the energon from one to the other as if it were a fine art. Though Starscream's displeasure was clear, he still managed to do everything with an air of refinement and superiority-- even that piteous begging he tended to pull when his plans went awry.

"Is that all, Mighty Megatron?" Starscream inquired, sarcasm seeping through his earnest tones. "Or shall I feed it to you as well?"

Unamused by the comment, Megatron raised his helm, looking Starscream in the optics, and, his tone cold and serious, said, "Drink it."

Starscream was taken aback by this, and his voice was one of seemingly genuine confusion. "What? Why? What would the point of _that_ be?"

"Don't question me." Megatron growled. "Drink the energon."

Starscream stared down at the cup. The opalescent energon shimmered and shone, and his stomach sank. He licked his lips nervously, shifting his weight from ped to ped.

"Something wrong?" Megatron asked. "It's perfectly good energon, and that's one of my finest dishes. Or would you rather I punish you for refusing an order?"

In the quiet, Megatron could hear Starscream's engine hum loudly. The turbines in his chassis whirred to life, cooling the overheating jet. Megatron smirked; he had him right where he wanted him.

Starscream shifted visibly, and took the goblet up in his servo, its stem slipped properly between his fore and middle fingers. He lifted it elegantly to his full lips, and Megatron watched with interest, sitting upright in his chair to get a better view.

The Seeker switched off his optics and sipped deeply, then offered the cup to Megatron.

"Swallow." Megatron commanded.

Starscream's optics snapped back online instantly, and he looked incredulously at the Decepticon lord. He didn't say a word.

"Didn't you hear me? Swallow the energon, and finish the cup."

Starscream shifted again and held the cup in both servos, looking down at it uneasily. Megatron would allow him no way out.

"You don't want to do it, do you, Starscream?" Megatron rose to his peds and stepped up to his second, who was fast becoming flustered. "You poisoned the energon."

Starscream started to squirm, his mouth still full of tainted energon. Megatron suddenly had more power over him than ever before; if the Seeker was forced to swallow, he would be killed-- or at the very least, made extremely sick --by his own poison.

Megatron took the goblet from Starscream's servos and set it on the table before grabbing him roughly by the mouth.

"I wonder what will happen if you swallow that energon?" Megatron said, grinning devilishly. "Will you die, Starscream?"

Starscream looked panicked as he shifted and fidgeted, his servos locking onto Megatron's wrists. He tried to shake his helm, to beg forgiveness as always, but Megatron's iron grip and the threat of the poison in his mouth prevented him from doing either. All he could do was squirm.


	3. Chapter 3

_Megatron & Starscream – Making a Lover of a Snake  
__Chapter 3_

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Megatron sighed. If it wasn't so frustratingly predictable, he might've laughed. But as it was, he found himself in the exact same position Starscream so often put him in, with the treacherous Seeker in the exact same position he unceasingly put himself in.

The only thing that set this instance apart from the usual was that Starscream had never before wound up with a mouthful of poison. The aerial commander liked a more direct approach; he apparently thought that poison was too _underhanded_ or some such. Megatron would never understand that way of thinking, especially coming from Starscream. Weren't his assassination attempts 'underhanded' in and of themselves? Was there some kind of nobles' code of honor Starscream wanted to upheld?

"Starscream, why do you do these things?" Megatron asked. "To me, to yourself… Don't you think it's all rather _trite_ by now?"

Starscream cast his gaze off to the side, mouth still full of the tainted energon. He made a low humming sound from his throat in a vague attempt to talk around the substance.

Energon like this was heavily filtered and processed to allow consumption by Cybertronians and use as a source of energy. It had all the properties of a liquid, and so could easily be kept in containers, provided it had a cool environment. The raw variety harvested directly from energy sources, on the other hand, was too volatile to use as fuel, and could prove deadly to anyone who tried to do so.

What Starscream had done, as far as Megatron could tell, could be one of three things. The first, and trickiest, would've been to introduce negative ions into it to reverse the polarity of its electrical properties before refining it, but that might've taken too long. Otherwise, he could have either used purer, less filtered energon that could maintain a liquid form, but was still too volatile to consume, or combined one part completely raw energon with two or three parts refined.

"There are times I can't tell if you're a genius or a moron." Megatron went on. "Going to the trouble of tainting the energon, but doing it at a time like this? When I had you personally bring it to me? When I would be _expecting _it?"

He sighed again. "Spit it out, you worthless buffoon."

With that, Megatron released Starscream's mouth. The aerial commander went right for the goblet, spitting the liquid energy back into it. When there came a flash of light on impact, Megatron had his answer, and, for the third time in two minutes, sighed. Starscream hadn't really _poisoned_ it, but instead just used improperly filtered energon. If he'd ingested it, it would've caused a catastrophic reaction with the fuels and fluids in his body.

"Now. My answers." Megatron prompted, rubbing at his steely gray temples.

"I had thought that a time like this would be perfect," Starscream answered lamely. "You, ah… You wouldn't be expecting me to do something so…_obvious_…?" His pitch raised, unsure of his words.

Megatron came up behind Starscream and grabbed him by a wing, turning him roughly to face him. The Seeker shrank back under the searing gaze, but he found that once again, there was nothing he could do to free himself from Megatron's iron grip.

"You test my patience, Starscream." Megatron hissed. He jabbed a harsh finger into the glass of Starscream's cockpit. "Remember; you are the _student_, not the teacher."

Starscream looked sourly off to the side, chewing lightly on his lip like a child being scolded.

"Am I completely understood?" Megatron asked.

Starscream gave a bitter, half-hearted nod. Aggravated, Megatron responded by shaking him roughly by the wing-- knowing full well just how sensitive and easily damageable the lightweight appendage was. The Seeker cried out, startled.

"Don't you mean 'yes sir' or 'yes, Megatron'?" Megatron hissed through gritted teeth.

"Oh, but of _course_!" Starscream exclaimed. His tone wasn't mocking, but instead that insufferable suck-up tone he tended to take when he was about to get throttled for his latest assassination attempt. It was to be expected; Megatron did have his wing in a vice grip. "Please forgive me, Megatron-- where are my _manners_? Yes, my liege, I understand!"

Megatron groaned and released his wing. "For spark's sake, stop acting like such a piteous _youngling_." He leaned towards Starscream until their faceplates were mere inches apart, their fiery optics burning into each other's. "I need a second in command, not a spoiled child. If you want to pout, and stomp your peds, and disregard me, then I'll just do away with you and get someone _else_ to act as my second. Soundwave, perhaps."

"No, don't." Starscream said, collecting himself. "I'm sorry. I… I won't let it happen again."

"You'd best not." Megatron answered, giving a snort. "Now then, this lesson is over. Return to your quarters, and I'll fetch you again this evening. Understand, Starscream?"

"Yes, Megatron!" Starscream answered smartly.

*****

To Megatron, a little rest was a welcome relief. He sat once more in his favorite chair, resting his chin on his palm in irritation.

Starscream was highly intelligent and accomplished both in aerial combat and sabotage tactics. He was faster than anything airborne or ground bound, and he implemented it expertly. It wasn't as if he was just some kid Megatron had pulled off the streets. And while he was fairly young, he wasn't as immature as he sometimes acted--though he was clearly appalled at the idea of being treated like a servant the way Megatron intended to during his new training.

The aerial commander was of noble breeding, and it showed in his speech and every movement. He carried himself with grace and an air of elegance, and did so in such an enticingly effortless manner, making the rest of the world look as if it lacked any trace of the same refinement. If only that aura didn't crack so often.

When he lost step, the noble-bred Seeker would often resort to simpering and kissing up, not bothering to try and cover up his mistakes or save face. It was unbecoming, to say the least, and embarrassing at worst.

When that happened, it was almost inevitably because of some failed attempt to usurp leadership of the Decepticons. Starscream would be a fantastic assassin, if his oil didn't run so hot, but Megatron was far from interested in honing that kind of skill. It would be like putting venom in the snake's fangs and waiting for the moment when it decided to turn and strike.

Each was a side to Starscream that made up the fabric of who and what he was. Though Megatron could've just as easily gone without that more spoiled side, it was all the same a little bit of Starscream's personality, if more or less a mere side effect of the noble breeding that gave him his sense of grace and balance. It was balanced by his aptitude in combat, and the strategic abilities that earned him his place as second in command.

Unfortunately, with his spoiled attitude and prowess in combat together, the assassination attempts were to be expected. They made the Seeker overconfident, and that in turn led him to think that he was the 'natural choice' for Decepticon leader.

Megatron scoffed, chuckling dryly to himself. Patience was key; this evening would bring a new lesson, and if he played his cards right, perhaps the aerial commander would get something out of it. Thereafter, no matter how many lessons may or may not follow, Starscream was going to become his loyal and disciplined second-in-command.

The Decepticon lord turned to look through a towering window at the sea surrounding his underwater fortress.

He felt absolutely confident in his abilities. He had already planned the next lesson, and the one after that. He had already planned for Starscream's reactions and the assassination attempts that would inevitably follow. Megatron was completely certain that, one way or the other, Starscream would come to obey and pledge his complete and undying devotion. With the Seeker at his peds, they would lead the Decepticons to victory, first against the Autobots, and then against the universe.

Otherwise…

Megatron sneered at the glass. Otherwise, he was going to snap Starscream's neck and be done with him. If the Seeker was that far beyond help, it wasn't worth it to waste his time.

But of course, that wouldn't happen-- it couldn't. There was simply no way he could possibly fail, that Starscream could somehow overcome him in the game of wills and wits yet to come. Megatron was too confident in his plans for that.

*****

When next Starscream entered Megatron's quarters, it was just as unnecessarily dark and eerie as it had been before. The glow of his optics gave dim red highlights to the objects around him, meeting with Megatron's to fill most of the room with the ghastly light.

"Starscream," Megatron began, striding over to his chair, "it occurs to me that, if I'm to get anywhere with this, you need to learn your place. A little _humility_ could do you some good."

"Yes, sir." Starscream answered. It was in his best interest, he figured, to just go along with this for now and try to avoid pissing Megatron off any further.

Megatron turned to look at him, raising an optic ridge. "Very good."

Starscream gave a nod, and Megatron, seeming satisfied with this, sat down. Not knowing quite what he was supposed to do at this point, Starscream walked over and stood next to the chair. He leaned slightly on the armrest, hip curved outward appealingly.

Megatron glanced up at the Seeker, who, in turn, licked his lips nonchalantly, acting as if he hadn't really noticed that the warlord was looking. Starscream shifted, letting the smooth amber glass of his cockpit brush against Megatron's shoulder.

Megatron narrowed his optics. "Right then, to our second lesson." He said, acting just as nonchalant as his second.

"Yes, my lord?" Starscream purred.

"You will be polishing my plating, helm to ped." Megatron said, waving a servo over his body.

Starscream leaned further over Megatron, cockpit pressing against his shoulder. He rested one arm on the Decepticon commander's other shoulder, and began to lightly trace his helm with the other.

"Oh pooh, is that _all_ you want me to do?" Starscream asked, mock pouting.

Megatron looked up at him, optics still narrowed. Starscream felt certain he could see the glint of desire in them, but the stern look meant that the commander wasn't going to be acting on it any time soon.

"At the moment, yes." Megatron replied. "I've already prepared the polish for you."

Starscream gave a slight groan and knelt down to get to work.

He had this all figured out. The initial childish pouting passed, Starscream had realized that the only way out of this was to beat Megatron at his own game. He might think that he could wear the Seeker down with this tedious slave-work, but if that was the case, he had another think coming. There was nothing in the universe that could keep Starscream down, least of all Megatron.

A devious smile crept across the Seeker's faceplate. Who knew? This game of his could actually get pretty _interesting_.


	4. Chapter 4

_Megatron & Starscream – Making a Lover of a Snake  
Chapter 4_

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_

Megatron settled back comfortably in his chair, leisurely lifting a ped for Starscream to polish. With the obedient bow of his head, the Seeker took up a cloth that had been set out for him, and went straight to his work.

The Seeker was up to something, that was obvious. Were he nothing else, Starscream would always be a master of acting casual. Once he'd been caught, and the embarrassing kissing-up was through, he'd go right back to acting like nothing ever happened. Megatron wondered how he could possibly maintain such a haughty sense of pride when these things happened so often.

Megatron was taken from his thoughts by the light sensation of the exposed joint at the back of his knee being rubbed at. He looked at Starscream and snarled; if the accursed Seeker thought he could _seduce_ him, he had another think coming.

The smooth forms and warm metal of the jet's body pressed almost to the point of scraping against Megatron's leg as Starscream climbed with the polish, leaving trails of pale blue on the battle scarred, death-gray plating.

"Honestly, Starscream." Megatron said, resting his cheek on his fist. "Don't you think you're trying a bit _too_ hard?"

Starscream glanced up at him with dark optics, and the corner of his mouth curled into a smirk. "Not at all, my liege." He answered cockily.

"Do you want me to punish you?" Megatron sighed.

Starscream just laughed, moving to polish the jet-black steel plating that protected Megatron's hip joints. "Punish me? For doing what _you_ commanded me to do?"

Megatron tapped his ped irritably. "Don't play games; you know exactly what you're doing. Your petty tactics won't work on me."

Starscream clicked his tongue and scratched lightly at dirt lodged in age-old grooves etched in the black plating. "I'm not playing games." He said nonchalantly. "I'm not using any 'petty tactics' on you, either. I'm simply following orders."

With a low, throaty growl, Megatron took up a datapad from his table and began to slowly peruse its contents. At this point, anything was a welcome distraction as long as it kept him from letting Starscream and that bad attitude of his get under his metal skin.

All the while, Starscream polished his way upward, across his torso towards the more sensitive areas, like his chassis and underarms. Little could harm or bother a body so honed, trained and scarred, but if Megatron knew his second, the arrogant Seeker would damn well try.

The Decepticon lord shifted in his seat, watching Starscream with a sneer. His very stance was carefully calculated to taunt Starscream with his own authority. He leaned back in the chair, shoulders relaxed, looking down his nose at the Seeker-- his posture, his expression, and his body language told the younger Decepticon with total certainty that he was not a threat to him.

Both mechs went in assured that this would become a game of wills, and each was hell-bent on winning that game. No matter who came out the victor, it would mean a shift in the balance of power-- Megatron would gain full control over Starscream, or Starscream would overcome Megatron and become leader of the Decepticons at long last.

Well, at least that's what Starscream thought, the Decepticon commander mused with a dry chuckle. If he didn't win this game, no one did. The Seeker would be his to command, or else he would die. There was no way but Megatron's!

Starscream kept a calm expression as he worked his way across Megatron's broad grey chassis, his fingers rubbing dangerously close to the Decepticon lord's seams and shoulder joints.

He knew he was being taunted, and this time, he wasn't going to fall for it. To the contrary, he was already trying to figure out ways to use it to his advantage. The old fool thought he was invincible, and that left him open to ambush--just the way Starscream liked it.

He leaned up to get a better reach, approaching from the front; by now, he was nearly in Megatron's lap. His deft blue fingers slipped under the larger mech's shoulder joint, catching hidden wiring in the connection before his rival had the chance to bat him away. A loud growl, barely bitten back, was his reward, and Starscream pounced on the opportunity.

Dropping the cloth, the Seeker climbed completely onto the beast's lap, mouth honing on to his neck to nip and lick at thick cabling, both servos occupied in Megatron's seams and beneath his shoulder joints. From the chassis beneath him came a deep, rumbling growl that threatened attack; Starscream took this as encouragement, a sign to redouble his efforts, and reacted by biting down on the powerful neck, fingers driving deeper and more aggressively into the wiring.

His leg scraped against Megatron's as he sought better positioning, causing him to wince, and the warlord to shift with another low, threatening growl. Even as preoccupied as the aerial specialist was, he still hoped that wouldn't scratch his sheer white paint, and he _really_ hoped that it hadn't provoked the other's mood in all the wrong directions.

Megatron shifted a second time, his body tense. It was difficult for Starscream to assess whether he was actually into this or not, and just how harsh his punishment would be if the answer turned out to be no. He could only hope that his tactics worked well enough to avoid that all-destroying wrath!

The agile fingers slipped lightly into the seams on either side of Megatron's chassis, seeking hidden clasps to release the outer casing and allow himself access to all the delights within. If he could just distract the older Decepticon long enough, he'd be able to get at his engine and spark chamber, and from there, a quick and sudden victory.

His fingertips found their target and scrambled impatiently to free the clasps. The white jet's cockpit vibrated from the force of his rumbling engine; he could barely contain his anticipation. If he could distract Megatron long enough, then--

All at once, Starscream felt something large and heavy slam into his side and knock him cleanly straight off of Megatron's lap, through the air and onto the ground a good several meters away, skidding awkwardly onto his back and nearly landing on his left wing. With a snarl, the leader of all Decepticons stood, his piercing optics boring into the Seeker.

"Just _what_ do you think you were doing?" Megatron demanded.

Starscream sat up quickly, supporting himself with his palms. His mind raced to find a good answer for this one; this was his second mistake in the span of one day.

"Oh, _please_ forgive me, Lord Megatron!" Starscream exclaimed, bowing his helm submissively. "I merely meant to do a little _favor_ for you, to help you relieve some of that stress, and--"

"Spare me." Megatron groaned, sitting back down. He rubbed at his steely temples before reaching for his datapads.

Starscream rubbed gingerly at the bases of his wings. Damn if he hadn't landed right on top of them, and though it seemed they hadn't incurred any real damage, it still hurt like he'd just been trampled by rampant Constructicons. Of all the things Megatron was, gentle wasn't one. Honestly, he was lucky his wings were _intact_.

There was a weighted silence as he tried to figure out what to do next. Another stunt like that and Megatron's already dangerously thin patience would wear out completely.

Slowly, the Seeker turned himself onto his servos and knee joints, then leaned forward reached for the polishing cloth, hoping that Megatron could see his careful, even movements. He took the cloth up and, crouching on his knees, leaned up to finish polishing Megatron's chassis and arms. The warlord regarded him with narrowed optics, another growl rising in his throat, before returning his attentions to his datapad.

Starscream worked quickly and quietly after that, doing just as he'd been bid. Sharp optics regarded the features of the massive grey mech's body, wondering what if any parts might be even the slightest bit vulnerable. It was as though Megatron had no weaknesses, his armored form impervious to damage, physical sensation--anything!

There was absolutely nothing that could break through to his sensors--except maybe the Autobot Prime's axe, sending him off with his tail between his legs and the mighty command to retreat filling the air, Starscream thought, barely biting back a snicker.

Megatron regarded Starscream in turn, scowling at him over the datapad. He lorded over the Seeker, warning him, daring him to try another of his tricks. The younger Decepticon bowed his helm and kept on scrubbing diligently. He knew he'd been beaten--_this_ time--but he knew too that if he could just bide his time and learn as much as he could about Megatron and his impossible armor, he would find his moment to strike and victory would be his.

Though he was a very impatient mech by his very nature, it could at least be said that Starscream hadn't really tried anything this time. He'd tried to get in a little too deep, yes, but he hadn't done anything particularly _wrong, _really_._

…Well, sort of.

It didn't take long after that for Starscream to finish up. He scrubbed down the rest of Megatron's body, bringing the ghastly gray to what he would describe as being slightly less ghastly, and yet just as damn terrifying. The jet took a moment to admire his work before putting aside the polish and cloth and bowing gracefully down onto his knee.

"Again, let me apologize for the delay." Starscream said calmly, helm bowed, servo on his gleaming cockpit. "I've finished polishing your armor, _mighty_ Megatron."

Megatron raised an optic ridge, and a grin lifted his dry lips. He rose slowly from his seat and came to stand before the bowing Seeker. He put his servo on his helm and patted him like some sort of _pet_.

"Good boy, Starscream." Came the gravelly voice. "You are dismissed, for now."

It took a lot of self-restraint for Starscream not to verbally lash out at his commander, or at least bristle at the insulting treatment. Uneasily, he rose to his peds and, giving a brief salute, took the dismissal and excused himself from the room.

Megatron laughed. The flash of anger in Starscream's optics when he'd called him a 'good boy' had been worth it all.

He'd hardly been surprised that the jet decided to make another assassination attempt, given the clear opportunity, but this time, he'd been far more subtle about it. It had been a clever ploy, but Megatron could never be swayed, even if his body hadn't been as aged, battle-hardened, and powerful as it was. Starscream just didn't know what he was dealing with--at least not _yet._

_He left the room and started up the hall wearing a smirk._

_Everything was proceeding as planned. It was time to move on to the next phase._


	5. Chapter 5

_Megatron & Starscream – Making a Lover of a Snake  
Chapter 5_

_.  
_

Starscream knew that Megatron was looking for him, and he knew why, too- the old fragger wanted him to play another of his stupid mind games. The Seeker had no idea just what he wanted him to do next, but he knew it was going to be just as stupid and humiliating as being forced to bring him energon and polishing his armor, and right now, he really didn't feel like being put through that.

Actually, at the moment, he was feeling pretty _frisky_. He didn't want to have to play Megatron's game and act like a servant; he wanted to go fight or collect energon or do something, _anything_ physical, engaging, and reasonably dangerous. And that was exactly what he planned to do. He had his own little game in mind, and his _mighty leader_ had no choice but to play along, whether he realized it or not.

The new game was simple: Starscream was avoiding Megatron. The Decepticon lord had no idea where the Seeker had gotten off to, only that his underlings always seemed to have seen him take off in this direction or that, and by Primus, those useless lackies had better find him or there'd be hell to pay. Watching the older mech storm down the fortress's labyrinthine halls and back up again delighted Starscream. How did _he_ like being jerked around and humiliated?

The sleek jet deftly navigated through the Decepticon fortress, ducking through halls and tunnels and taking lifts almost at random. Not a single Decepticon had managed to catch up to the clever creature, and he planned on keeping it that way. Sure, he'd allow some of the lesser lackeys the glimpse of a wingtip or a raised heel every once in a while, just to let them know he was still in the base, but that was as close as he planned on ever letting them get.

Only one person was going to catch him, and _only_ when he was good and ready.

Starscream grinned snidely over his shoulder as he stepped out of sight of a small band of pursuers and slipped away down another hall. By now, he was certain, at least half the Decepticon army was chasing after him, checking every room and storage facility, every hall and lift to try and find the clever Seeker. With every failed attempt to catch him, he got a little more confident and a little more satisfied with himself. This time, he was the one in control.

…Well, sort of. But it was a start.

Down the hall and into another lift the Seeker went, listening to the echoes of angry cries from the Decepticon lackeys he'd just deftly left behind. The lift hummed to life and carried him swiftly and silently up to the next floor.

xxx

Megatron was hardly in a calm or rational enough mood to realize or care what game Starscream was playing. It was bad enough that he couldn't find the aerial commander and that he _knew _the young Decepticon was basically just sulking about the night before, but the fact that a small platoon of his men couldn't track down one spoiled Seeker was making his oil burn.

If they couldn't find, pursue, and capture something moving about within the confines of their own fortress, Starscream or not, then they would probably prove too incompetent to do the same with Autobots. That was particularly worrisome when he considered what would happen if the enemy got into their base somehow and disabled the security systems. All hell would break loose, and there would be a lot of casualties- most of them, Autobot _and_ Decepticon, by Megatron's angry servo.

The warlord stormed through the fortress, servos balled into fists. If his Decepticons couldn't handle it, he'd just have to show them how it was done. He would track Starscream down like an Autobot fugitive and punish him in spades, and then he'd give the troops that had failed a complete refresher course- from scratch, if need be.

There was no room for failure in the Decepticon army. Perhaps he should thank Starscream for showing the incompetence that seemed to be stirring lately and giving him the chance to snuff it out before it was too late.

He would be sure to do that, once he was finished punishing all parties involved- starting with that damn frustrating aerial commander.

xxx

Starscream crouched down by the wall, servo pressed against it for balance. His body twisted slightly to keep his wing from scraping against the surface, he leaned forward, peering cautiously down a dark hall. He couldn't see or hear anyone even moving around on this floor; it was as eerily quiet as ever.

The Seeker, like most with the gift of flight-Decepticon, Autobot, or even filthy organic-disliked being in such secluded, confined spaces: there was nowhere they could take off from, and no place to go even if there were, leaving them vulnerable. Unfortunately, at the moment, there really wasn't any way around it if his little game was ever going to come to a point.

So, steeling himself, Starscream made his way down the threatening hall, sharp optics scanning his surroundings thoroughly. He knew they'd be around here somewhere…

From behind him, he heard the soft click of something arming itself. Ah, there was the first of the so-called security measures. Slowly, he turned to look up at the red eye staring back at him from the darkness. This wasn't going to be easy.

xxx

Megatron had been frustrated enough before, but when several hours passed without a single sighting of Starscream, he felt he might boil over completely. He could only assume that the jet had 'flown the coop', and if that was the case, they'd never find the fool until he was standing behind the Decepticon leader with guns raised.

He dismissed his soldiers with the promise of punishment later that night. For now, he needed a rest-just enough to diffuse some of his own anger. The keys to winning war were thinking rationally and striking hard, and if he let some snide Seeker interfere with his focus, then clearly he wouldn't be much more competent than the morons who'd failed to capture his second to begin with.

Of course, Megatron would never allow himself to be driven into such a trap. He'd just had a long day.

So, he quietly made his way through the base, striding with all the calm and pride and awesome power that made him a legend. He took the lift down to the lowermost level, into the peace and solitude of his personal floor.

Megatron stepped out of the lift and started down the short, empty hall towards his quarters-but as he approached the door, he noticed something strange and unsettling. The security systems did not engage as he passed them, even to acknowledge who he was. There came no sound of weapons and scanners humming to life to welcome their master. There was only silence.

The Decepticon lord armed his cannon and cautiously approached the door, prepared for an ambush. Somebody was in there; of that, he was certain. And in a moment, he would find out exactly who, and how the hell they'd gotten in there.

The electronic door opened before the warlord, and he lunged in, ready to attack.

"Why hello, Megatron." Came an all-too-familiar voice from the darkness. "Took you long enough. Why don't you sit down?"

Megatron lowered his weapon and switched on the lights.

"Starscream." He growled.

The Seeker lounged carelessly in his chair, a long, slender leg perched on the armrest. In his servo, he held a goblet of energon, and on his faceplate, he wore the most intolerable smirk Megatron had ever laid optics on.

The Decepticon leader stormed up to Starscream, anger boiling. This was one insult too many! He had kept his men running around all day, disabled his security devices, snuck into his private quarters, and now lounged in a chair that no one but Megatron had ever even _touched_!

"Starscream, you insolent, arrogant little fool!" He roared, throwing his fists down onto the armrests so that his faceplate was just inches away from Starscream's own. He was seething, his engine growling, his body hot.

Starscream's smile only grew. "Oh Megatron, why are you so angry?" He purred. "Did you really think I would just put up with your games without playing a few of my own? It's only fair, you know. Besides, you and I both know that you're only _really_ mad because this time," here, he leaned up so that his face brushed Megatron's own, "I won."

The growl from the older mech's chassis rose, and he quivered slightly with the force of his anger. But both Decepticons knew he couldn't strike the Seeker, or else he'd just give Starscream the satisfaction of being _right_.

Starscream reached up with his free servo and lightly stroked a rough gray cheek. "Calm down, mighty leader." He whispered. "There's always next time."

Megatron caught the offending wrist in his large, black fist. His optics bore into Starscream's, and his lips twisted into a snarl. In a sudden, swift moment, he jerked him up out of his chair, flinging him over his shoulder. The Seeker flipped over with the force, landing on his back, upside-down, on Megatron's berth.

The Decepticon lord turned and sat in his chair, glaring at the jet now slick with spilled energon.

"You turned my chair around." He stated, trying to keep the anger from his voice.

Starscream righted himself and leaned back on the berth, energon trickling slowly down his cockpit and all along his slender, curvy form.

"You got energon all over me." Starscream answered, a sulk in his voice.

"It's a good look for you." Megatron snorted.

Starscream looked disappointedly at the empty goblet lying next to him. "Wasn't it you who spoke of how _unforgivable_ it is to waste energon? It _is_ a precious resource, after all."

The older mech tilted his helm back slightly, the growling of his engine slowly working down. "What are you asking, Starscream?"

"Nothing," Starscream answered coyly, "I just don't want all this energon to go to waste."

Slowly, Megatron rose from his chair and approached the berth, leaning over his second. He pushed Starscream onto his back and pinned him there, his hands on the bed, fingers rested on the aerial commander's wings.

"You are far too full of yourself, Starscream." Megatron hissed. "Just as I told you before, you can't stop me from molding you into something useful to me. And if you try, I'll just push harder and harder until you either succumb to me or _break_."

Starscream's servos slid up to caress the back of his commander's neck. "Who said anything about stopping you?" He purred coolly. "It's just no fun if you're the one always calling the shots. Would you really be happy if I did nothing but polish your armor and call you 'highness'?"

"That, dear Starscream, is the point." Megatron answered, frowning.

"Well then, I guess we should just enjoy the time we have together before I become your loyal servant." Starscream said. "Because that might give you what you want, but only I can give you what you _need_."

"And what do I _need_, then?" Megatron asked, leaning closer to his second.

Starscream's servos tightened on the back of the warlord's neck, and the Seeker pulled up his upper body, his lips meeting Megatron's own. His smooth tongue, devoid of wet matter, ran along them teasingly.

"Why don't I show you?"


End file.
